Flash Engineering

Jan ”Flash” Nilsson and Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte is going to take part in the legendary road rally event Mille Miglia, driving a Porsche 550 Spyder.
”It is going to be amazing to drive a piece of motorsport history in a legendary race,” said ”Flash”.

The race spans over 1600 kilometers of winding Italian roads and the event is about completing the stages on a pre-set time.
”I am really looking forward to the event. Our target is not to finish as high up in the results as possible, but rather about having as much fun as possible,” said Prince Carl Philip.

Mille Miglia has got its roots from the beginning of the 20th century when the event was a very fast open-road endurance race that was closed down in 1957 due to an accident. The event was opened again in 1982, but then in the form of a road rally event for cars that are produced before 1957.

The Porsche 550 Spyder is a car just as famous as the race it self. The car, which was built in 1955, is most known as the car that movie star James Dean died in.
”The car is fascinating in many ways. Even if I gladly call my self Jan Dean this weekend, I have no intentions to kill my self in a road rally event. The car is from when motorsport was extremely dangerous and you need to handle it with respect,” said ”Flash”.

The Spyder that ”Flash” and Prince Carl Philip is going to take part in Mille Miglia with has got chassis number 45 and is part of the car collection of Albert Westerman. Westerman, who also owns the menswear company State of Art, owns a total of 34 Porsches, three of them which are 550 Spyders.
”The car of James Dean had chassis number 55 and I own 45, 76 and 89 of the 90 produced cars of this model. Seven are gone without a trace, among them the car of James Dean,” said Westerman to Dagens Industri.

Mille Miglia 2011 starts in the Italian town Brescia on thursday and then continues on through cities like Bologna, Rome and Modena. ”Flash” and Prince Carl Philip is going to take turns in the roles as driver and co-driver.
”We have three exciting and fun days ahead of us. It is a true privilege to take part in this event with such a legendary car along with Prince Carl Philip,” said ”Flash”.

”Flash” and Prince Carl Philip joins the line of legendary Mille Migila drivers such as Stirling Moss, Alberto Ascari, Tazio Nuvolari and Juan Manuel Fangio.

Click here for more information on Mille Miglia.
Click here for more information on the Porsche 550 Spyder.
Click here for more information on State of Art.